In the second phase of the study, the research team studied how 93 dogs responded to cues given by their caregiver compared to a stranger. Some dogs were studied when they were pre-adolescents at 5 months old, and others tested during adolescence at 8 months old.
What Is a Cue and How Is It Different From a Command in Pet Training? The team discovered the older group of dogs was less likely to "respond to a "sit" cue than the younger pups. And this happened only when they were told to do so by their caregiver, not a stranger. In fact, the adolescents were almost twice as likely to ignore the sit cues—and probably with the typical teenage heavy sighs and eye rolls, too. Researchers concluded that adolescent dogs can mimic similar behaviors as human teenagers.
Though, keep in mind this is just the findings of one study and may not be representative of all adolescent dog behavior.
Ways to Cope With Adolescent Dogs
Harvey doesn't want these findings to upset pet parents in any way. Instead, she wants them to know how to prepare for a furry buddy's awkward transition from puppydom to adulthood.
"For dog owners, the critical message from this study is that, yes, your dog is likely to exhibit some problem behaviors during adolescence, including reduced obedience and perhaps increased separation anxiety, but it's a completely normal part of the development, and it will pass," she explains.
She stresses that no matter how frustrated you might get, punishing your pup is never the answer. "Especially at this age [when] it could backfire and make things worse, as it's a sensitive time in the dogs' behavioral development," Harvey says.
Mikkel Becker, KPA CTP, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CDBC, is a dog behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free. She says this is definitely a tough time for dogs and their pet parents.
"The dogs are very interested in investigating their world and exploring," Becker says. "However, don't be discouraged: Training can still be accomplished at this time. No matter how frustrated we may get, our perseverance and patience will pay off."